


Photograph

by FoxyPrince



Series: Taiqrow Feels [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fanfiction Gap, Fluff, Gen, Just a tender moment, M/M, Nostalgia, Not even really shippy, Set during the beginning time gap of volume 4, That sweet spot between happy and really really sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 12:53:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16974942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxyPrince/pseuds/FoxyPrince
Summary: Tai had always shone a little brighter than most in everything he did, which is why when Qrow stepped around the doorway to see him sat cross-legged in the floor with shoulders slumped and head hung low, he knew something was truly wrong.





	Photograph

Tai had always shone a little brighter than most in everything he did. Whether it was fighting Grimm and defending the things he cared about from the unkind parts of the world, the days of which had passed some time ago, or in the tender moments of cooking breakfast or gardening or falling in love, Taiyang had a near tangible sort of radiance about him; he had a way of brightening even the gloomiest of people around him without even really needing to try.

This is why when Qrow stepped around the doorway to see him sat cross-legged in the floor with shoulders slumped and head hung low, he knew something was truly wrong. He hesitated for a moment, holding onto the doorway unsurely as he looked the other over. Qrow had never been the best with words, stumbling over his meanings and saying all the wrong things to all the wrong people, but he didn’t want to leave Tai like this. He cleared his throat.

“Tai? You okay?” 

The blond turned where he was sitting to look at him, revealing the small box he was sitting in front of. Things had been pulled from it and laid out neatly to the side - a small, well loved toy, a few books, and a stack of photographs; Tai was holding one in his hand as well. He seemed almost surprised to see Qrow, a look akin to guilt on his face.

“Hey, wait… I recognize that rabbit,” Qrow said, small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he fully entered the room to kneel next to Tai.

“Yeah, this was Yang’s. She used to love this little guy.”

Tai finally unfroze a bit, shoulders relaxing and seeming slightly bashful as he watched Qrow pick the stuffed animal up and look it over.

“I, uh…” he started, gesturing to all the things scattered around in his bedroom floor, “I found some stuff in the guest room closet when I was cleaning it up for Yang to use. Told myself I wouldn’t open it…”

He scratched the side of his head as he flipped the picture around in his other. Qrow gently sat the little rabbit down so that it was leaning against the side of the box before looking over at Tai, trying to think of something to say. Things had been so hard for the man next to him for so long, and pictures of when his children were young, their toys and kiddy things, things that should bring a parent joy and a sense of pride were hard for him to even look at, having to put them all away to keep from remembering things better left forgotten. The pair sat in knowing silence for a few moments, Qrow hoping Tai could take a little bit of comfort in at least not being alone.

The stuffed rabbit that had been sat up against the box slowly slid over onto its side while the two were lost in thought, knocking over the stack of pictures to go spilling over the floor. Qrow scoffed lightly, rolling his eyes at the inconveniences, large and small, that followed in his wake before reaching to start picking them up with a mumbled apology, but Tai reached out and grabbed one of them with a soft laugh that made his heart hurt.

“Hey, look,” he said, grinning and turning the picture around for Qrow to see; it was a shot of a tiny Ruby wearing only an empty box stuck on her head like a helmet and her underwear while Yang had one of Summer’s bras strapped on her head and buckled under her chin with some kind of food smeared over her face and her pyjamas. The two girls seemed like they were pretending to fight the several stuffed Grimm set up around the living room. Qrow laughed as he took the picture from Tai to examine it closer.

“Do you remember that? Remember, you came over a little later-”

“Oh, yeah!” It finally clicked in his memory once Tai started describing it, and he nearly doubled over in laughter as he relived a little piece of their history.

“Me n’ you n’ Summer spent hours playing with the girls, setting up the little toys and then just being the Grimm while they waylaid the hell out of us,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, but then after they fell asleep, we all got into the dumbest food fight in the kitchen, and we ended up in the floor, covered in mashed potatoes!” Tai choked out, barely able to form words through his laughter. He reached over to clasp his hand on Qrow’s shoulder and lean on him slightly, tears in his eyes as he looked up at him.

“A-and then! Then we all tried to cram into the shower together in our underwear, and you- your face! You were looking at the ceiling the whole time so you wouldn’t accidentally look at Summer’s boobs!” That sent them both reeling with laughter, leaning onto each other for some sort of support.

By the time the fit of giggles passed, they were both in pain and red faced, tears streaking down their cheeks, and Qrow had flopped over onto his back on the floor, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Tai picked up the picture that had set them off from where the other had dropped it, fondly running his thumb over his girls before setting it next to Yang’s old rabbit.

“You know…” he started, smile a little sad now though no less bright, “I miss her a lot; Raven, too. Well… sometimes.” He paused to chuckle again at the mention of Raven.

“But I’m glad I still have these pictures, even if they can hurt. Seems like all I have is memories sometimes…” he trailed off, and Qrow sat up on his elbow slightly with a gentle smile.

“Hey, you still have two beautiful, strong, amazing girls… Who seem to attract trouble worse than we ever did…”

“Yeah...” Tai says, looking back up at him. “And I still got you.”

Something in his face was still sad, but it was outweighed by a soft expression of fondness that made Qrow’s brain falter for a second. His fears and his insecurities welled up in his chest alongside the warmth Tai usually inspired in him, and he was tempted by old habits of denial, of pushing people away. He didn’t really deserve this from someone like Tai; he knew he had let him down in the past and would continue to do so in the future, despite his best efforts. The storm brewing in the back of his mind likely showed on his face for a moment before he sighed softly and sat up, placing a hand on Tai’s back and giving him a tired smile.

“Yeah… You still got me.”


End file.
